Ammunition magazine



June 6, 19 I v. s. BLQCKERI', I

AMMUNITION MAGAZ INE Filed Sept. 9, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l J wag Filed Sept. 9, 19356 4 Sheet s-Sheet 2 j m wag/y June. 6, 1939. v. s. BLACKER 2,161,696

AMMUNITION MAGAZINE Filed Sept. 9, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3' Jung 6, 19 39.

L. V. S. BLACKER AMMUNITION MAGAZINE Filed Sept; 9, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 IQI 1 nvmwizr Patented June 6, 1939 N MAGAZINE Latham Valentine Stewart Blacker, Coates House, near Fittleworth, England Application September 9, 1936, Serial No. 100,006

In Great Britain October 2, 1935 9 Claims. (CI. 42-49) This invention relates to ammunition magazines for small arms, light automaticguns or the like, more especially for machine guns and has for its object to provide an improved magazine which will be simple and inexpensive to make, and will store a considerable number of cartridges while having small overall dimensions.

The invention consists in an ammunition magazine for small arms, light automatic guns or the like, wherein the cartridges are carried in a substantially cylindrical or conical container, each with its axis substantially parallel or only slightly inclined, to the container axis.

The invention further consists in a magazine as indicated in the preceding paragraph comprising means for moving the cartridges bodily about the container axis towards an aperture or slot in the container wall, through which they are fed to the weapon. Such means may, for example, comprise one .or more rotary members or rotors mounted within the container and preferably caused to rotate by spring means which may be under control of the weapon mechanism.

If more than one rotor is embodied in the container, means may be provided to ensure sequential operation, and means may also be provided to ensure sequential operation of a second magazine after all rotors in one magazine have completed their operation.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several modes of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation of one convenient form of magazine in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view of Figure 1 showing a modified arrangement.

Figure 3 is an outside elevation of a part of the magazine shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 illustrates a detail of the magazine shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the magazine shown in Figure 2 with parts omitted.

Figure 6 illustrates a modification of detail in the construction shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a part-sectional elevation of a fur ther modification of the invention.

Figures 8 and 9 are sectional plans showing two modifications in connection with the arrangement shown in Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a section illustrating a further modification and Figure 11 is a plan of a part of Figure 10. I

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 10 showing a further modification.

Figure 13 is a plan of a part of Figure 12. In carrying my invention into effect in one convenient manner as in its application to a magazine for a machine gun and as shown in Figure 1, the magazine is formed of a closed cylindrical 5 or frusto-conical box-like container a having therein two hollow members or rotors b, 0, each of similar shape to the container. The rotors are of such size as to leave between them, and between the outer rotor and the container, annular 10 spaces of a width suflicient to receive a series of cartridges d. The outer rotor b has axially arranged at each end a length of hollow shaft 17', which passes through an axial bearing in the end wall of the casing, while the inner rotor c is se- 15 cured to a shaft- 0' which passes through the hollow shaft lengths of the outer rotor. The outer surface of each rotor is provided with a number of upstanding ridges or projections 6 between which the cartridges are carried, the car- 20 tridges being held in place by the smooth inner wall of the outer rotor or the container respectively friction being substantially eliminated due to the fact that each cartridge is free to rotate about its own axis. 25

In a small cylindrical casing attached to, or integral with, the forward end of the outer rotor is mounted a coiled spring I connected between the wall of the casing and a boss on the shaft 0, while outside this small casing is provided a similar 30 coiled spring 9 connected between the hollow shaft b of the outer rotor and the wall of the container a. The rotor shafts project at the forward end from the contalier, and each has a winged grip f, f, or the like, wherby it can be 35 turned to rotate the rotors and thereby wind up the above mentioned springs. A ratchet f, f on each shaft adjacent to the winding grip is engaged by a pawl onthe front of the container to hold the rotors in position against the action 40 of the wound springs.

A longitudinal slot (similar to that shown at t' in Figure 5) is provided in the container and has an inturned lip, such as h so that as the outer rotor is turned each cartridge therein meets the 45 lip and is thus forced out from the container slot. A similar longitudinal slot 13 and inturned lip h is provided in the outer rotor through which cartridges from the inner rotor are passed to the outlet slot of the container, which outlet 50 slot may be connected directly to the cartridge chamber of the weapon or may be connected toa rectangular guideway h through which the cartridges are passed to the weapon.

-In operation cartridges are fed into the rotor 55 grooves as the driving springs are wound up and the magazine is then attached to the machine gun. A release member or tappet, such as is shown at It in Figure 4, is pushed against a fixed portion of the gun and moves a rocker arm or hellcrank, which releases the pawl of the internal rotor.

The spring of this rotor causes it to turn and forces each cartridge inturn' outwards through the slot provided in the outer rotor and into the guideway. On the conclusion of the rotation of this inner rotor a cam provided on its axis contacts another rocker arm or bell-crank, which releases the pawl or detent of the outer rotor which carries out the same cycle of operations until every cartridge has been fed to the gun.

Figures 2 to 5 illustrate a magazine similar to that above described with the exception that in this case instead of providing a separate driving spring for each rotor the one spring serves for the two rotors and in this connection it will be seen'from Figure 5 that the arrangement of rotors with inturned lips h and h therein is such that when the springs 9" drives the inner rotor the cartridges d, fl constitute a driving connection between the inner and outer rotors so that the latter is also driven and this condition remains until all the cartridges have been elected from the outer rotor when the stud s projecting outwardly from the lip h on the outer rotor engages with a slot in the lip h on the container thus preventing further movement of the outer rotor whereupon the cartridges from the inner rotor are successively ejected, the last of these cartridges being fed into the guideway h by means of the springs Z or. 1'. Magazines of the above character are preferably arranged to operate in pairs, and in this case two are secured to, or integral with, one another having a common guideway between them with opposed slots, each adapted to receive cartridges from one magazine. Such duplex magazines are shown both in Figure 1 and in the arrangement shown, in Figures 2 to 5.

In the former construction cams are arranged on the rotors so that after the inner rotor of one magazine has been emptied, it releases the pawl of the outer rotor and the latter on becoming emptied releases the inner rotor of the other magazine which thereafter releases the remaining full outer rotor. It is to be understood, however, that the arrangement may be readily modifled in such a way that'after the inner rotor of one magazine has been emptied it releases the pawl of the inner rotor of the other magazine and this releases the outer rotor of the first operated magazines which thereafter releases the remaining full outer rotor. A vertically movable platform or plunger in the guideway below the inlet slots may be held down against a compressed spring by a pawl which is released by a cam on the last rotor operated, and thereafter feeds to the gun the cartridges remaining in the guideway. In the construction shown in Figures 2 to 5,the shaft of the rotor of one magazinedrives through a pinion m to a gear wheel m which carries a'pin m, the gearing ratio being such that when one magazine is emptied the pin m releases the detent n which in turn disconnects a pawl 11/ from a ratchet n on the shaft of the second magazinewhereby the latter is then allowed to operate. In this construction also the springs Z, Z serve to close oif one magazine while the other is in operation and the-leaf spring 0 serves to' guide the cartridges being fed from the magazine into the guideway h.

The spring I is shaped like the development, of a cone and pushes the last cartridge up the slot h and closes the opening on one side after doing 4 so. The other spring 1' is similar to the first but slightly longer and pushes the last cartridge up the slot h to the gun. When the magazines are fully charged the springs l, l' are wrapped round the inner rotors as shown in the case of the 1 spring I in the righthand side of Figure 5.

In one convenient size of magazine of the above character the outer rotor of each magazine may carry 24 cartridges and the inner rotor 16 cartridges, so that a pair of these magazines with a 1 guldeway holding 5 cartridges contains in all cartridges. This number may however be increased by enlarging the dimensions of the containe'r and rotors, and/or by installing more than two rotors in each container with suitable in- 2 terconnections for sequent al operation.

It will be seen that by means of the above construction the two rotors in any one container will be substantially balanced and symmetrically disposed about a common axis of rotation and that 2 each cartridge will be bodily carried around the container axis by its respective rotor and forcibly ejected through a slot in the container wall whence it may be conveyed directly to the breech block of a weapon without the necessity for any 3 additional conveying mechanism other than a simple connection or guideway between the container and the weapon to be loaded. Thus it will be seen that the movement of the cartridges will be substantially unaffected by any external 3 forces such as might be set up due to the position and/or movement of the container, and the magazine is therefore particularly suitable for use in rapidly moving aircraft where large externa forces are encountered.

and substantially parallel to the cartridges lying 5 in the spaces of the rotor. In operation when the rotor rotates and the spaces in it become vacant such spaces are filled by cartridges impelled from the box type magazine by springs such as q. In

such a contruction the box magazine may be of 5 rectangular form as shown in Figure 8 or it may be of curvilinear form as shown in Figure 9 and in either case the cartridges may be ejected from the box magazine by springs or by hydraulic,

pneumatic, electrical or other means or through 6 the medium of gears or chains or other mechanical device and they may be operated with escape-' ment or detents or release gears actuated at suitable times by appropriate means.

In a modification of this type, when for instance 6 intended for use with guns in aircraft or in rapidly moving turrets of tank or aircraft, I propose to locate the box magazines in such positions relatively to the axes of the rotors and of the aircraft or tank that centrifugal forces due to the 7 movements of the aircraft or turret will not impede the functioning of the box magazines. For example, in aircraft, the box magazines would be placed vertically above the magazine rotors and at ach side of the gun. Thus no ordinary aero- 7 Thus, in Figure 4 batic such as a loop or a flat turn would create forces tending to impede the action of the box magazines.

Eigures 10 and 11 show an alternative construction in which the cartridges may be fed to the rotor by means of a belt 1' having vertical projections or clips in which the cartridges are held and from which they are removed by the projections or fingers upon the rotor of a rotary type magazine.

, Figures 12 and 13 show a further modification of belt magazine or feeding device associated with the rotary magazine.

In any modification of the invention a series of rotors may draw their supplies from a common magazine or from a series of magazines or a single rotor may be arranged to draw supplies from a series of magazines.

It will be understood that the invention is capable of a number of modifications. .For example,

the rotors may be driven by other means than springs, such as electric, hydraulic or penumatic power, or by the movement of the gun, while the release of each rotor at the correct moment may be effected by an escapement mechanism which may be controlled or actuated by the movement of the reciprocating portion of the gun, or the axes of the rotors may be interconnected by gear wheels of which portions may, if necessary, be blank, or the rotating patforms may be controlled or actuated by mechanism connected with a rotating or other portion of the gun. These and various other modifications may be introduced as they become desirable or necessary in order to carry the invention into efiect under different conditions and requirements which have to be fulfilled, without departing in any way from the scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An ammunition magazine for machine guns comprising, a container, a plurality ot rotors in said container, projecting means carried by each rotor for supporting individually a plurality of cartridges, the wall of said container having an outlet for said cartridges, driving means for rotating said rotors sequentially so as to carry the cartridges bodily about the container axis and eject them sequentially through said'outlet, and a spring member wound around one of said rotors when such rotor is filled with cartridges and which is unwound by the rotation of the rotor thereby pressing against the last cartridge during its'movement towards and through said outlet in the container wall.

2. An ammunition magazine for machine guns comprising, a plurality oi! containers, a rotor in each container, means arranged on each rotor for supporting individually a plurality of cartridges, the wall of each container having an outlet for said cartridges, a guideway extending from the outlet of each container into a common outlet channel, driving means for feeding the cartridges in sequence from each rotor through the outlet in its respective container wall into said common outlet channel, a spring member wound around a rotor in one of said containers when such rotor is filled with cartridges and which is unwound by the rotation of the rotor thereby pressing against the last cartridge during its movement towards and through the outlet leading to said common outlet channel and a similar spring member wound around a rotor in another container which is unwound by the rotation of said rotor thereby forcing the last cartridge through its respectiveoutlet and to move such cartridge along said common outlet channel.

3. An ammunition magazine for machine guns comprising, a container, a plurality of rotors in said container, projecting means carried by each rotor for supporting individually a plurality of cartridges, the wall of said container having an outlet for said cartridges, a common driving mechanism for rotating said rotors sequentially so as to carry the cartridges bodily about the container axis and eject them sequentially through said outlet, and a spring member wound around one of said rotors when such rotor is filled with cartridges and which is unwound by the rotation of the rotor. thereby pressing against the last cartridge during its movement towards and through said outlet in the container wall.

4. An ammunition magazinev for machine guns comprising, a container, a plurality of rotors in said container, projecting means carried by each rotor for supporting individually a plurality of cartridges, the wall of said. container having an outlet for said cartridges, a separate driving mechanism for rotating each of said rotors sequentially so as to carry the cartridges bodily about the container axis and eject them sequentially through said outlet, and a spring member wound around one of said rotors when such rotor is filled with cartridges and which is unwound by the rotation of the rotor thereby pressing against the last cartridge during its movement towards and through said outlet in the container wall.

5. An ammunition magazine for machine guns comprising, a plurality of containers, a rotor in each container, means arranged on each rotor for supporting individually a plurality of cartridges, the wall of each containerhaving an outlet for said cartridges, a guideway extendingfrom the outlet of each container into a common outlet channel, driving means for feeding the cartridges in sequence from each rotor through the outlet in its respective containerwall into said common outlet channel, a spring member wound around a rotor in one of said containers-when such rotor is filled with cartridges and which is unwound by 4 the rotation of the rotorthereby pressing against of rotors in each container, means carried by each rotor for supporting individually a plurality .of cartridges, the walls of each container having an outlet for said cartridges, a guideway extending from the outlet of each container to a common outlet channel, driving means in each container for rotating the rotors therein sequentially so as to feed the cartridges in sequence through their respective container wall into said common out-' let channel, means for locking the rotors of one container during the rotation of the rotors of an-' other container, and means for automatically releasing said locking means upon the rotors of said other container becoming emptied.

7. An ammunition magazine for machine guns comprising, a plurality of containers, a plurality of rotors in each container, means carried by each rotor for supporting individually a plurality of cartridges, means for locking said cartridgesagainst longitudinal movement during the time that such cartridges are so supported, driving 1 means in each container for rotating the rotors therein sequentially so as to feed the cartridges in sequence through an outlet in their respective container wall, means for locking the rotor of one container during the rotation of the rotors of another container and means for automatically releasing said locking means upon the rotors of said other containers becoming emptied.

8. An ammunition magazine for machine guns comprising, a pair of containers, a pair of rotors in each container, means carried by each rotor for supporting individually a plurality of cartridges, the walls of each container, having an outlet for said cartridges, a guideway extending from the outlet of each container to a common outlet channel, a common driving mechanism in each container for rotating the rotors therein sequentially so as to feed the cartridges in sequence through their respective container wall into said common outlet channel, means for locking the rotors of one container together during the ejection of cartridges from one of such rotors, means for locking such rotor when empty to the contain- 9. An ammunition magazine for machine guns comprising, a pair of containers, a pair of rotors in each container, means carried by each rotor for supporting individually a plurality of cartridges, the walls of each container having an outlet for said cartridges, a guideway extending from the outlet of each container to a common outlet channel, a separate driving mechanism in each container for rotating the rotors therein sequentially so as to feed the cartridges in sequenoe through their respective container wall into said common outlet channel, means for locking one of the rotors during the rotation of the other rotor of the same container, means for automatically releasing said locking means when the rotation of said other rotor is completed, means for locking the rotors of one container during the rotation of the rotors of the other container and means for automatically releasing such locking means upon the rotor of said other container becoming emptied. 

